Most parents
recognize (and remember) that the teenage years are a volatile time
marked by the struggle for independence, the forging of identity, the
painful process of emotional maturation, and the learning of societal
norms. Yet parents often underestimate the toll that the stress from
these years can take on a teen.

This teenage stress has never been more prevalent. Teenagers are
living ever-more complex lives in a society that increasingly treats
them as younger adults. It is as important as it’s ever been, then, for
parents to recognize the causes of teen stress and to take measures to
relieve or combat it.

Lori Lite, author and creator of Stress Free Kids, a line of books,
CDs, and curriculums designed to help children manage anxiety, stress,
and anger while promoting self-esteem and peaceful sleep, warns that
untreated, teen stress can lead to illness, depression or worse.

“ Teens are worried about grades, sports
achievements, peers, relationships. Many teens are dealing with
divorcing or single parents. The recession has also increased stress for
teens. Many are working to help make ends meet. Others are in fear of
their parents losing their jobs and the roof over their head.”

“This is a stressful time for teens, which also makes it a dangerous time.”

Lite also cites a myriad of other factors, both macro and micro, that
can cause stress in teenagers. These include, but are not nearly
limited to, tests, homework, peer pressure, divorce, the
economy, military, college, work load, sports, extra curricular
activities, even opening lockers, getting lost on campus, and time
management.

A mother of three herself, Lite has some tips for parents to help their teens overcome their stress.

1. Remember that stress is contagious, but so is calm. Demonstrate relaxation and positive statements in your parenting routine.

2. Talk to your teen. Figure out when their guard is most likely to be down and use that time to communicate.

3. Stay up and have a late night snack with your teen. Teens may be more talkative at night and in the kitchen .

4. Tell stories about challenges you have had as a teen and how you
handled it. Make sure to share the mistakes you made. Teens are more
likely to share their challenges after a story than a direct question.

5. Give your teens more freedom, but keep clear boundaries. A teen without rules is a teen with much stress.

6. Schedule downtime with your teen. Go pumpkin picking, horseback
riding. Take them out of their usual environment. You’ll be surprised
how your teen will let their walls down doing something outdoors.

7. Pay attention to what you say to your teen. Take a break from
criticizing and correcting. Make a choice to give a compliment everyday.

Parents sometimes make the mistake of interpreting legitimate stress
as the typical emotional volatility associated with being a teenager.
Labeling stress as ‘just being a teen’ both unfairly discounts the
difficulty of the teenage years and can obscure the telltale signs of
damaging teen stress. Parents might notice their teen is stressed if
they see that their teen is easily agitated, overactive, confused,
afraid, angry, sad, anxious or withdrawn. A preoccupation with a
traumatic event, withdrawal from family and friends, sleep disturbances
and physical complaints can all be indicators of stress. Lite encourages
parents to trust their instinct.

Teens can also help manage their own stress levels, by making a
homework plan, scheduling downtime, exercising regularly, eating
healthy, not overscheduling (and actively scheduling downtime and time
to talk with parents), and getting plenty of sleep. Parents should
encourage this behavior whenever possible.

Teen stress is a very real, potentially damaging condition.

Parents should take whatever steps possible to help their teenagers
relieve their stress during this challenging period of life. And they
should start today.

# # #

Lori Lite is the creator of Stress Free Kids – www.stressfreekids.com
Her books, CDs and curriculums help children, teens, and adults manage
anxiety, stress, and anger while promoting self-esteem and peaceful
sleep. Her award winning Indigo Dreams CD series, including Indigo Teen Dreams have been embraced by parents, psychologists, educators, therapists and doctors around the world.

Head Space is honored to be a friend and affiliate of Lori Lite and her fantastic work.

Excuse me, I just 'blogged'!

Kristy Lee Rackham

Sunshine Coast, Australia

Full time parent, part-time nursing student, writer, key-note speaker, facilitator, entrepreneur... I subscribe to the belief that if you're clever with your time and where you put your energy, you CAN have the cake and eat it too! Still working on what flavour to make the cake though!
My passion is creating... creating anything, in any form makes me happy! My goal is to lead my children (and others!) by example... its a big task and Im learning so much about myself through their eyes. As they grow, so do I! Most importantly, I want to show them that if you have a dream, you can achieve it with a bit of dedication, discipline, guts and a belief that anything is possible. So I guess that I want to teach them to create as well... create their own destiny!
Email me at headspacebook@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you.